


idiota

by alonelyfangirl



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Attempt at Humor, Crying, Emo Keith (Voltron), Fear, Fluff and Angst, Gay, Gay Keith (Voltron), Grumpy Keith (Voltron), Hanahaki Disease, I Don't Even Know, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Idiots in Love, Keith (Voltron) is Bad at Feelings, Keith (Voltron) is a Mess, Lots of Crying, Love Confessions, M/M, Mutual Pining, Near Death Experiences, Pidge | Katie Holt is Savage, Pining Keith (Voltron), Pining Lance (Voltron), Sexual Humor, Soft Keith/Lance (Voltron), Texting, Unrequited Love, all voltron squad are emotional and sympathetic af, blackpink reference if u squint, i cant write kiss scenes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-10
Updated: 2019-06-10
Packaged: 2020-04-24 00:39:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,648
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19162267
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alonelyfangirl/pseuds/alonelyfangirl
Summary: “You coughed up a flower?”“That’s what I said, yeah.”-In which Keith starts coughing up blue flowers and Lance is a blind idiot.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> yo so i wrote this at like 2am and i cried while writing it ngl
> 
> lol its more of my shit fanfiction hope yall enjoy i guess

The coughing starts one early April morning. It’s been a week since the sleepover with his friends, where Keith wasn’t able to do anything but hopelessly pine over Lance for a whole 12+ hours, and try to sleep, which left him feeling awkward, inadequate, sleep-deprived (when was he not sleep-deprived, really) and too emotional for his liking. This had then persisted for the rest of the week, as Keith continued to feel shittier and shittier; it was no surprise to him that he was sick. He let out another raspy morning cough, an uncomfortable heaviness and dryness ripping through his chest, and then stumbles out of bed to get a glass of water, some panadol and some breakfast. 

While he eats, the coughing starts up again, this time violent, hacking coughs, different from the small ones he had this morning. His entire body jolts forward with the force of each one, the air like razor blades tearing away at his windpipe. He almost chokes as he feels something travel up his trachea, and to his surprise, he spits out a small blue flower.

What on earth?

This was the story he told his doctor later on in the day, confused, tired, and just wanting to go back to sleep and let this all be over.

“You coughed up a flower?”

“That’s what I said, yeah.”

The doctor makes a note on her clipboard. “Mr Kogane, do you have a significant other?”

Keith flushes, slightly taken aback. “I- I think that question isn’t-”

“Mr Kogane, please just answer the question.”

“Uh, no, I don’t.”

“Are you experiencing romantic feelings towards someone else?”

“I really don’t see how this is necessary-”

“I will explain later. Please just be honest. This meeting is completely confidential.”

Keith sighs. “I guess I do. I mean, have a crush, I guess.”

It seems like even the doctor knows that’s the understatement of the century. Keith’s been  _ in love _ with Lance for the past 2 years, but his socially-awkward emo ass can’t seem to get one word out that’s not an insult or a half-hearted grumble. Despite all that, Lance still would text Keith, ask him to hang out, try to spend time with him, call him an adorable grumpy cat - which Keith detested but found endearing, of course - and light up Keith’s life with his smiley blue eyes and his obnoxious laughter.

The doctor sets down her clipboard on the table. Keith realises he’s been fantasising about Lance again, and the doctor probably knows that too. He sighs.

The doctor then looks Keith straight in the eyes. “Mr Kogane, I am afraid to say you have an extremely rare disease called the Hanahaki disease.”

_ Oh jesus fuck, what the shit is wrong with me now? _

“What the hell is a hanahaki disease?” Keith asks, groaning slightly in frustration at the cryptic ways doctors explain things.

“Please let me explain. The Hanahaki disease is caused by a long-lasting affection towards another person that has not been reciprocated, making flowers grow inside your lungs. We are unsure of the precise causes of the growth, but you will cough up the blossoms. The colour of the plant usually speaks a lot about the person you are affectionate towards.”

“And is there a cure?”

“I’m sorry, no artificial cure is known yet. The only known cure is for the person you are in love with to fall in love with you, or express that love to you.”

Keith sighs. “And what’s going to happen to me if they don’t?”

The doctor sighs. “I’m sorry to have to tell you this, but the hanahaki disease is a terminal illness.”

Keith blinks. He’s really too tired for this. He might as well just accept his fate. “So I’m going to die if Lance doesn’t love me back?”

“If whoever this Lance is is causing the growth in your lungs, yes, unfortunately.”

“How long do I have left?” Keith asks, dejectedly.

At this point, he’s almost glad to die.

“Since you have been feeling unwell for about a week already, we predict that you have around 7 weeks left. Usually when the flowers show, the patient only lives for 2 months.”


	2. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith's dying.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oops this turned into angst lol

Hunk was the first to hear about Keith being sick. He immediately rushed over, bringing tissues, cuddly animals and lots and lots of food, even though Keith never asked for it. 

“Ohmygod, do you have a temperature? How’re you feeling? Everything okay? What happened?”

“Nothing, I promise, it’s just a cold,” Keith grumbles. He really hates how being taken care of fills his heart with a warm, happy emotion.

“Aw, poor baby.” Hunk wraps him up in his big arms.

“Gerroff-” Keith growls, struggling to escape the hug, before being attacked with another round of racking coughs. Hunk sets him down, looking at him in concern.

“Dude, are you okay? This doesn’t seem like just a cold. Have you been to see a doctor?”

“Yes, yes I have, and she says everything’s fine and it’s just a cold, now could you leave me alone?”

Hunk smiles sympathetically at Keith. “Alright, buddy. I’ll be making some soup for you downstairs. Just yell if you need me.”

Keith really doesn’t deserve Hunk’s generosity or his kindness. Of course, throughout the rest of the day, Pidge, Shiro, Allura and Coran all visit him and offer well-wishes, asking if he’s okay and bringing presents and snacks to help him get better. Allura and Coran bring this strange, jewel encrusted amulet that they say has healing powers, although Keith doubts it, and Shiro brings tea. Lots and lots of tea.

“It has healing properties!” He argued, at a fed-up Pidge.

“What, like Allura’s necklace?” Pidge retorts.

“No! Hers is blatantly bonkers!”

Pidge snorts, before grinning. “So yours is subtly bonkers, or?”

Shiro groans. “It’s going to work!”

“Okay, keep telling yourself that, sweetie,” Matt says, placing a kiss on Shiro’s cheek as he walks past, having heard it all.

“Babe, when’d you get here?”

“10 minutes ago, with Pidge. I was just parking the car.”

Pidge, in fact, had brought a whole encyclopedia of diseases and their known cures, that was the latest version only released last week. She had sat down at the foot of the bed, where Hunk had tucked Keith in. She pushed her glasses up, and began asking a torrent of questions that Keith, although grateful for her time and kindness, really didn’t have the heart to answer.

He was mid-way answering a question about joint-soreness when the coughs hit him again. Pidge looks up in alarm. Keith can almost hear her mind whirring with all the different diseases that could cause such a symptom. However, Keith feels something travelling up his windpipe again, and he closes his eyes in horror as even more blue flowers spill out of his throat and onto his tongue. He tries to swallow them back down, but ends up gagging, spitting out cornflower-blue coloured petals onto the bedsheets.

Pidge is silent after that. So is Keith. He’s too embarrassed to talk about what just happened, and he has a fairly good idea that Pidge has figured out what’s going on just from that.

“It’s Lance, isn’t it?” She says, her tone brimming with sympathy, understanding and just a tiny bit of hope.

Keith nods wordlessly, pressing himself deeper into the pillows. He just doesn’t want to be seen right now.

Pidge gives him a soft smile. “I promise I won’t tell anyone else.”

Keith speaks. “It’s fine. They’re all bound to find out. Just don’t tell Lance, please.”

Pidge sighs. “Okay. We all love you, Keith.”

Keith sniffs, but says nothing, just turns his face into his pillow.

Pidge leaves the room, and the loneliness seems to weigh on Keith like fat slugs. God, how he wished he didn’t feel his heart squeeze whenever Lance would smile that wide-mouthed grin, and how his pretty blue eyes would fill with mirth as he laughs at his own stupidity, and how whenever he looks at Keith all that beauty would be directed right at him and Keith just-

He just can’t get Lance out his head, can he?

The fact that he has 7 weeks left on the earth fills him with a dark sort of dread. Despite all the depression he’s gone through, he’s never had a death date imposed so harshly upon him. He’s worried about the darkness that surrounds, well, not-existing. He’ll really just be gone, just like that, and he won’t even know it himself.

That’s fucking scary.

Keith doesn’t know how to accept it. In a sense, he already has, with a morbid sort of affirmation, but the threat of non-existing and everything turning into nothing is just something he doesn’t want to think about anymore.

And of course, Lance prances to the rescue, throwing open the bedroom door in all his flamboyant melodrama, launching himself towards Keith, who’s just blinking in shock as Lance throws himself onto the bed, on top of him, seating his ass right on Keith’s thighs as he fake punches Keith’s chest in anger.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were sick, you dumbass? I had to hear it through the groupchat! Do you not trust me enough to run over and take care of you, you, you,  _ ai, idiota!” _

Keith’s just sitting there, completely overwhelmed by Lance’s vivacity and his insults and his  _ spanish  _ and the fact that Lance is  **sitting** on him right now, body frozen stiff because he’s melting inside at the way the light hits Lance’s cheekbones and his face is frowning in the most adorable pout known to man and Keith’s soul has just left his body-

“I know I’m gorgeous, but you don’t have to stare, Keith!” Lance grins, sending Keith a wink that shouldn’t be affecting him in the way it does.

Keith finally regains his senses and shoves Lance off him with more force than intended. “I’m fine, I didn’t want any of you to come here anyway.”

That was a big mistake, because Lance’s face falls a little, but he just looks even more beautiful sitting cross legged on the bed looking down at Keith, who’s trying furiously to hide his blush. “I’m fine,” he says in a small voice.

Lance grins. He knows that’s Keith’s way of apologizing for throwing him off, saying thank you for coming, and that he really isn’t fine and definitely needs hugs. So Keith really shouldn’t be surprised when Lance throws himself over him in a full body hug. Keith, made uncomfortable by the emotion welling up inside him, tries to shove Lance off, but Lance is ridiculously persistent, too obstinate for Keith’s liking, and Keith, being too tired and sick, just relaxes, going limp while being swaddled by blankets and Lance’s cuddles.

That’s when the universe decides it’s the best time for Hunk to ‘here I come kick in the door’ with a bowl of soup, whistling when he sees the somewhat compromising position Keith and Lance are in.

Damnit, can Keith just commit suicide already. He doesn’t even need the Hanahaki disease.

Pidge then pops her little head out right beside Hunk and smirks knowingly. Ugh, Keith hates his friends so much.

  
  


* * *

The next few weeks pass by in a blur of Hunk’s godly chicken soup, Pidge’s sympathetic glances, Shiro’s awkward parenting, and a shit ton of blue flowers. It’s almost as if they all hope he’ll get better. 

However, it’s mid-June when Hunk walks into Keith’s room and is taken aback by how pale he is. Keith can barely move, blue hyacinth petals scattered around the pillows, sleep-deprived eyes shut, hair a mess. For the first time, Hunk realises how close to death his friend really is.

Shiro is the next to walk in. The Keith in the photo that’s his phone wallpaper looks nothing like the one now, cradled in blankets and pillows. Pidge, Coran and Allura all come to stand beside him as they all collectively realise:

 

_ Keith’s dying. _

 

When Keith opens his eyes, hearing the noise, he’s met with fat tears rolling down Hunk, Pidge, Allura and Coran’s cheeks and Shiro and Matt’s heartbroken faces. His eyes, despite their vibrant purple colour dulled, fill with affection at seeing his friends all standing there. 

Keith smiles weakly at them all, and as they all climb into the bed to envelop him in a hug and bury their faces in his hair, he whispers, “I’ll miss you guys.”

Lance is the last to enter the room.

“Hey, why’re y’all cuddle piling without me?”

He joins the hug, and Keith feels his broken heart clench at maybe even the last time he’s ever going to feel Lance’s hugs. He’s crying too, he realises.

Everyone climbs off.

Keith, as soft as a cat’s footsteps, breathes out.

“I don’t want to die.”

And then Allura just breaks, sobbing loudly into Coran’s shoulder. That triggers everyone else too. Even Lance’s bright blue eyes are covered with the glassy sheen of tears. Keith exhales a shaky breath, and Lance sees how difficult it is for him to breathe.

“Okay, how about we all just come in one by one and chat to Keith.” Shiro says, not needing to add a ‘for the last time’ at the end because everyone hears it already echoing in their minds.

Keith tries to savour his last memories as best as he can, as if he’s trying to make stay with him for the rest of eternity. Matt, Shiro, Pidge and all deliver emotional speeches that render Keith silent. Hunk and Allura, however, just hold him and cry. Coran just wordlessly hands Keith a list of questions, with a ‘please send a letter to me after you leave about all of these things. I would really like to know what it’s like up there in heaven.”

However, it’s Lance’s goodbye that Keith strives to remember the most.

“I-” Keith tries to say, but Lance shushes him.

“I practiced this, okay, be quiet!”

Keith fights the urge to smile.

“I don’t know what’s going on, I don’t know what illness has made you like this but I hate it so much I-” Lance pauses, taking a deep breath to calm himself down. “Keith, you’ve always been there by my side. I took it for granted, I did, I’m just so sorry-”

Lance is crying. He uses his sleeve to wipe the tears off his cheeks, before carrying on.

“I’m sorry if my teasing ever made you feel awful, I’m sorry for making you feel uncomfortable, I’m sorry for taking you for granted, I’m just so, so sorry. I wish I was better to you. I’m so sorry that I only realised how much I love you because I was going to lose you. I didn’t know how much you meant to me, Keith, and now you’re going to leave me-”

Keith is choking on another flower, and watches Lance’s eyes progress through a myriad of emotions, shock, worry, restlessness, concern and an expression Keith can only describe as  _ pleasedontleavenow _ as the now deep cobalt blue blossom falls out of his mouth.

Lance doesn’t hold the silence for another moment, gasping, “Keith-”

“Lance, I love you,” Keith says, as loudly as he could muster, with all his remaining strength, looking unblinkingly up into the cerulean shades of Lance’s eyes.

Lance chokes. “I love you too, Keith.”

Somehow, Keith understands. He closes his eyes, peacefully, calmly, as if he was just falling asleep.

Lance screams. “Keith, no, please, don’t leave me, Keith, KEITH!” Lance shakes Keith’s shoulders, pressing his head to Keith’s chest frantically to try and hear a heartbeat.

The others, hearing Lance’s cries, run in to see Lance sobbing uncontrollably into Keith’s shirt, trying to feel the rise and fall of his chest that tell him that Keith is breathing.

“Do CPR!” Pidge yells.

“Call 911!” Coran shouts, fumbling for his phone.

Lance does the only thing he knows about CPR. He kisses Keith, full on the mouth, as if he’s trying to give Keith his own life, pouring all his emotion into Keith because if Keith no longer feels, he no longer feels. When he breaks away with a sob, he collapses in fury and an awful sort of hopelessness fills the room. Even the orange glow of the sunset can’t warm the coldness Keith’s left in the room, as the warmth pours out of Lance’s heart like the light pours out of his eyes and the sobs pour out of his mouth.

Lance’s exhausted, tears relentlessly running down his cheeks, as he dejectedly tells the others, “I never even got to tell him properly that I’m in love with him.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i mean i did promise some peoples i was gonna write klance so


	3. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All's well that ends well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yall rly thought i would leave you there
> 
> naw i wont do u that dirty i promise
> 
> heres the fluff you've waited 2.8k words for lmao

And Keith’s coughing, torrents of blue flowers pouring out, as if his lungs were emptying themselves. Lance’s tears carry his hope down his cheeks. 

Everyone is clutching onto each other as if their own lives were being taken, praying, hoping that their hope isn’t in vain. Lance cries out when Keith’s eyes fly open and his breath stutters, the last few blossoms leaving his body.

The first thing Keith sees is Lance’s teary eyes, shining with relief and happiness and _love_ as they stare at him and envelop him in warmth. His mind feels clear, for the first time in two months, as he gazes back at Lance, smiling slightly as out of the corner of his eye, he sees all his friends weeping in relief as Shiro ushers them out of the room to give Keith and Lance a moment.

Lance lets out a cry, falling onto Keith and wrapping his arms around him like a koala.

“ _ Dios mio _ , I thought you were going to leave me, I-”

Keith wraps his arms around Lance. “I love you too,  _ idiota. _ ”

And Lance is giggling, chest shaking with a mixture of sobs and laughter as he clutches onto Keith like he’s the most precious thing in the world. Keith didn’t think he’d ever experience breathlessness like hanahaki again, but here’s Lance making the impossible possible.

“How come I’ve never realised how cute your Spanish is?” Lance sniffs, wiping his nose with the sleeve of his sweater, a stupid grin plastered all over his face. The fading light bathes Lance in an otherworldly glow, the tear streaks on his cheeks gleaming over his gold skin, and Keith’s flushing, as Lance cups his cheek gently and leans in, playfully nudging Keith’s nose with his as he whispers, “I love you, Keith.”

Keith smiles back up at him. “I love you too, Lance.”

Keith’s blushing, but still musters up the courage to say, “I never got to kiss you properly, when you were kissing me.”

“Well, I guess you can make it up to me now” Lance grins.

And the sun smiles as it lowers beyond the horizon, because Keith and Lance are finally together, and all is right in the world.

  
  


* * *

_ quoran _ has added  _ alluring _ ,  _ smolbird _ ,  _ plsfollowmyfoodblog _ ,  _ flamblueantgay _ ,  _ dontpesterme, usainholt _ and  _ planetarypapa _ to the chat

_ quoran _ has named the chat ‘Coran’s Surprise Birthday Party’

_ quoran _ has left the chat

 

**[smolbird]**

massive respect.

 

**[plsfollowmyfoodblog]**

what a flex

 

**[flamblueantgay]**

ugh goals im doing this for my birthday

 

**[planetarypapa]**

no way in hell you are

 

**[flamblueantgay]**

no way in hell im not, you mean

 

**[alluring]**

we really should plan a surprise party for him, though

hes done so much shit for us so

 

**[planetarypapa]**

i concur

 

**[plsfollowmyfoodblog]**

what a flex

  
  


_ 2 weeks later, the day of Coran’s birthday _

 

“It’s just this way,” Allura says, leading Coran towards her apartment. “Thanks again for agreeing, I don’t know what else I would have done.” 

“Of course, when anyone’s boiler needs fixing you know good ol’ Coran’s going to be there to help.”

When they reach the door, muffled sounds of yelling could be heard through the walls. Allura sighs, rolling her eyes.

“ _ Idiota, _ Allura’s bringing him now!” 

“Be quiet!” Keith hisses.

“Only if you shut me up, darling.”

There’s a serious of collective groans and an, “Ew, guys, get a room!” from Matt.

Allura opens the door. “Guys, come on. Coran already knew we were going to try and surprise him, but you guys could at least put an effort into the roleplay.”

“Kinky,” Pidge remarks, clicking play on Spotify.

Shiro just sighs.

“Let’s get this party started!” Coran yells, grabbing a party hat.

 

* * *

 

Pidge manages to document almost the entire party, including all the embarrassing moments she can use as blackmail material, like Coran chasing Lance around the apartment because, “The imbecile got cake in my  _ hair _ ! No one trifles with Coran’s hair, I’ll tell you that! You little  _ dweeb _ , get back here!” 

Pidge originally didn’t know why on earth Lance thought it was a good idea to bring alcohol to the party, but Keith’s low alcohol tolerance and his tendency to be a wild drunk changed her mind very quickly. She can’t wait to compile all the footage. There’s Keith trying to do a ballerina spin with a shot glass full of tequila balanced on his head, Keith trying to constantly grind on Lance (to his amusement and great joy) and Keith crying while clutching one of Allura’s lamps while saying, “Your light was snuffed out too early,” among many other great moments Pidge knows she’s going to use to haunt Keith for years and years to come.

She smiles as she looks over the birthday picture they all took together. There’s cake smeared on Coran’s face and in Allura’s hair as they beam at the camera, and Shiro’s shocked and panicked face captured in one frame as Matt hurtles towards him with a handful of chocolate icing, Hunk holding said bowl of chocolate icing with a mischievous smile on his face, Lance dipping Keith dramatically, Keith himself flushed red, but letting himself be dipped, and Pidge herself down in front grinning widely.

Good god, she wouldn’t trade this photograph for the world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *this was so shit ew*
> 
> anyway have a great pride month uwu

**Author's Note:**

> yeet
> 
> happy pride month lmao


End file.
